Within a relatively short time frame Blues Pills have built up a substantial following and it’s not difficult to see why; even so it has been my opinion since my first experience of this band, just over two years ago, that they need to be seen live to be fully appreciated – the talent, energy and passion infused in every live performance clearly evident.

This two-disc CD is the accompaniment to a live DVD filmed on 30th October 2017 at Le Trianon in Paris where the band played a sold-out show to 1200 fans, it stands to reason therefore that with a reputation for exceptional live exhibitions the band have chosen this for their latest release.

Recorded on the Lady in Gold tour, the band eager to showcase their new wares kick off with three tracks from their latest album before winding back slightly with ‘Black Smoke’ from their debut self-titled album Blues Pills, the rest of the album alternates between tracks from both albums and their EP Bliss.

I have always had a penchant for live albums with many of them being my favourite releases of all time, they just have that edge for me – you can almost feel the atmosphere, you can hear the vocalist interact with their audience, you feel a sense that you are actually there. To top all that you get to hear the musical experimentation which often occurs, taking the music you love to a whole new level and in many instances, I prefer the live versions so much that I rarely listen to the studio renditions thereafter. Of course in order to be turned into a live release either in DVD or CD format the performance needs to be pretty spectacular. Here, captured for all eternity is a band performing at the very top of their game, encompassing everything I love about live recordings. The vocals are raw and powerful, the guitar an exceptional blend of control and frenzy, the explosive percussion and fantastic bass groove in perfect synchronicity.

Tight but loose, these musicians meld perfectly and singer Elin Larsson has a phenomenal stage presence, an ease and rapport with the audience which is clearly demonstrated on this recording.

‘Bliss’, ‘Little Boy Preacher’ and my personal favourite – (both on the Lady in Gold album and on this release) ‘Elements and Things’ have already been released as singles pending this special edition box set. Blues Pills unquestionably have a winning formula and an intoxicating sound and like everything they have produced to date, it is impossible not to be impressed and impatiently awaiting the next instalment…

What I hear is a bit of hybrid sound that combines the classic bluesy rock of seventies bands like LED ZEPPELIN, FOGHAT and FREE with the slightly edgier and harder approach of eighties rock. At times I am reminded of Aussie retro-revivalist act WOLFMOTHER, but without the overly obvious ZEPPELIN worship…

Brazilian band HOLINESS could be described a few different ways. On one hand they are basically a female fronted gothic rock band in the vein of EVANESENCE and LOVECRAVE, but on the other hand, they do show some unique influences for the genre and have a thick layer of melodic goodness running throughout the entire album…